Summary of iWalk at all schools 2015

Another fun city-wide SR2S event! Kids loved it and were often heard saying proudly “I WALKED to school today!”

We had 7 schools join our International Walk to School Day on October 7th. We call the walk to school day “iWalk” or “International Walk to School Day” since that is what it says on our banner over Main St. and we like the international, global focus. For this event, we (SR2S Moscow) purchased earth erasers and international pencils to give out to participating schools.
We invited the Superintendent Dr. Greg Bailey to participate,

The local newspaper featured the event in the Moscow/Pullman Daily News.

We had 13 adult volunteers helping at the event and 9 student volunteers for a total of 22 volunteers:

Russell Elementary

Brigette Ricks

Grace Goc Karp

Moscow Charter School

Angie White

Margaret Dibble

St. Mary’s School

Stacey Thorneycroft

Eliska (U of Idaho volunteer)

West Park Elementary

Helen Brown

Yashashree Wase (U of I volunteer)

McDonald Elementary

Wendy Johns

Holly Monson

Palouse Prairie Charter School

Collette Dephelps

Tom Lamar

Moscow Middle School

9 student volunteers from Lori Lawton’s Science class

Steve Kadlec

New ideas this year included:

Tri-State posted our event on their digital sign for free where hundreds of people see it each day TriState sign

We used this event as an opportunity to collect signatures from students who wanted to say thank you to ITD (Idaho Transporation Department) for the funding they are supplying us with for the next two years! Thank you ITD!

SR2S purchased international flags, erasers and mini flags to help decorate for the event at each school from Oriental Trading

Here is a summary and some pictures from each of our 7 Moscow schools that participated:

1. St. Mary’s Catholic School

Stacey (parent volunteer) wrote: “This year’s iWalk was another fun morning with great turnout at St Mary’s School. Although we did not get an official headcount, I‘m pretty sure that at least half of the student body participated. We had walkers, bikers, scooters, park-and-walkers, and the “walking school bus” (joined by Fr. Joe).”
Here is a photo of some of the early arrivals with the “thank you for ITD” :

“We handed out the globe erasers (big hit) and Passport Cards. We offered to “stamp” a country on the passport for each trip to the cyclone fence and back. Many of the kids took on this challenge and got all nine countries signed off. These kids received one of the flags.”

Picture of a group running a lap to the cyclone fence and back:

Here is Jason Swam, who was the first to complete all 9 laps to the fence.

“Our wonderful UI volunteer was Eliska. She handed out globe erasers, signed passports, and chatted with the students. She has been to our school to help out in a class or two before, so she knew some of the kids and was a wonderful fit. She even partook in iWalk by riding the city bus to & from St. Mary’s!
Here she is with a group of walkers:

Thank you to SR2S for another opportunity to get us all out and moving on that beautiful fall morning.” – Stacey (SR2S Parent Leader)

2. A.B. McDonald Elementary School

Holly Monson (parent volunteer) wrote “McDonald school had a great turn out. They kids enjoyed the flags and the balls, they gave us an opportunity to help them understand that kids all over the world walking to school that day, not just McDonald or Moscow students. They did have a hard time understanding that they couldn’t take the balls or the flags. The kids getting off the bus absolutely would light up when they found out they could participate. They would drop their packs and run to the fence and back. I think it’s really important that they felt included. All the kids were all smiles when they collected their eraser and sticker. The parents that walked with students all smiled when they were given a sticker as well, that part was kind of fun as well.”

3. Lena Whitmore School

Bridgette (parent volunteer and photographer) wrote this summary about Lena: “Lots of smiling faces even though the sky was dark and it started to rain a bit. I was surprised at how many kids walked or rode their bikes. One mom, with baby in tow, announced, “we made it!” One suggestion is to have people in the back of the school with erasers, or whatever is being handed out. I feel like a majority of the kids come in from the back and play at the playground. Thanks again for all your planning!”

4. Moscow Charter School

Summary written by Angie White (MCS – Office Manager) “Moscow Charter School had roughly 98 kids walk to school today, 4 or 5 rode their bikes. Out of 145 kids I’m pretty sure there were more, but I was the only one counting and most of the middle school kids didn’t come to see me.We one parent volunteer, plus Magaret Dibble – a community volunteer – you sent over. Thank you so much for sending the volunteer, I was swamped without her. No pictures for this event. I did have kids use the passports, the kids who completed their passports will be entered in a drawing to win the inflatable earth.”

5. West Park Elementary

Helen Brown (SR2S Director) wrote: “West Park kids did the same thing previous events, the bussed kids participated once they got to school by doing some physical activity games. Quite a few kids walked or biked to school with parents. The Principal came out and did some laps with the kids. The kids like writing their name in chalk and receiving the erasers. We had two international student volunteers”

William Marineau, Principal of West Park Elementary School said ” The day was great. I walked with the whole student body in the morning around the fence again. Fun and cool.”

6. Palouse Prairie School

Colette DePhelps (parent volunteer) was a the school to help give out erasers when students arrived. Two Walking School Buses walked to the school from different locations around the city.

7. Moscow Middle School

SR2S Coordinator (Brooke Lowry) wrote this summary about MMS: “We kept it simple at the Middle School this year. SR2S bought globe stress balls, inflatable globes and multicultural pencils for the 6-8th graders. 9 Middle School students volunteered to earn Activity Points from teacher Mrs. Lawrie Lawton. Volunteers helped out by giving out stress balls, holding signs to slow traffic and make them aware of the event on D St., take pictures, and ask students to sign the “Thank you ITD” sign. Superintendent Dr. Greg Bailey was there to support the event and give out pencils. This year International Walk to School Day landed on the same day as Wacky Wednesday so there were some awesome outfits and hairdos celebrating the day. I think that was a great day to do both. We will try to coincide our event with Wacky Wednesday at the Middle School again next year.”

Here are some pictures…

International flags were used for decorations

Stress balls we handed out to students

Our posters this year. Theme was “Walk with the World” Special THANKS to Lianne Wappett who designed our posters. Lianne currently teaches JAMM 361 Advertising Creativity at the University of Idaho.

Here are some of the fun participants we had during iWAlk this year!

Thank you for supporting our event Superintendent Greg Bailey!

Thanks for another fun walk to school event everyone!

Picture of Brooke Lowry (SR2S Coodrinator) with some of the student iWalk volunteers and Wacky Wednesday participants at the Middle School this year.